Find veterans benefits and claims contacts for Custer County, South Dakota.
South Dakota County Veterans Service Officers
State roster contact: Todd Fish. Call before travel to confirm the meeting place and schedule.
Area served: Custer County.
8:00a - 5:00p Monday - Wednesday
For statewide phone and remote help, see the South Dakota directory.
South Dakota lists county veterans service officers and visiting schedules. Call before travel because shared officers and appointment times may change.
Call the Claim Raven 24-hour VSO prep line to get your records ready before your appointment. Claim Raven is not a VSO office. Your VSO's number is listed above.
Call (833) 387-1649The ACS estimates about 995, give or take 228 civilian veterans in Custer County.
By ACS estimates, Custer County has the 12th largest veteran population among South Dakota's 66 counties and equivalents.
| Measure | Custer County | South Dakota | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 41 percent above the South Dakota share; above the national share. | 35 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 13 percent; a small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
Custer County has about 177, give or take 82 veterans 75 and older, making up 18 percent of its veterans compared with 24 percent in South Dakota.
Veterans under 35 account for 3 percent; a small survey sample; treat as rough in Custer County; the survey figures do not support a state comparison.
Women veterans account for 16 percent; a small survey sample; treat as rough in Custer County; the survey figures do not support a state comparison.
| Measure | Custer County | South Dakota | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $43,409 ± $12,134 | $52,917 ± $1,660 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $44,976 ± $5,160 | $41,465 ± $418 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 14.9% ± 13.4 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 39.9% ± 16.2 points | 29.0% ± 1.5 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 77.8% ± 14.3 points | 78.8% ± 1.8 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 1.9% ± 5.1 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 98.3% ± 1.3 points | 96.2% ± 0.5 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 33.8% ± 12.9 points | 29.4% ± 1.7 points | 31.8% ± 0.2 points |
Income is in 2024 dollars. These figures describe civilians. Poverty and disability shares use veterans whose poverty status is determined. Census disability measures daily functioning, not a VA service-connected rating. Tables and method.
VA projects fewer veterans here in 2035. VetPop2023 projections for small counties show direction only. Projection source and method.
VA reports 517 veterans in Custer County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 128 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 62 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 65 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 150 |
| 100 percent | 112 |
FY2019: 285 recipients. Change to FY2025: +232.
VA does not publish some small counts. Those show as “Not published.” VA county compensation data (opens in a new tab).
In 2025, lenders reported 34 VA-backed home loans out of 225 home loans made in Custer County (15.1% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $411,000.
The 2026 FHFA one-unit county loan limit here is $832,750. This limit matters for a VA loan only when part of your entitlement is still tied to another VA loan. VA explains remaining entitlement and loan limits (opens in a new tab).
The largest reported service groups are Vietnam era only (about 469, give or take 172) and post-9/11 and Gulf War (1990s) (about 176, give or take 102; a small survey sample; treat as rough).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange presumptive conditions list; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $11.0 million in compensation and pension spending and about $15.8 million in medical care spending in Custer County for FY2025.
Hot Springs VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
500 North Fifth Street, Hot Springs, SD 57747-1480
New-patient wait for mental health: 14 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 54 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 17 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Rapid City VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
2165 Promise Road, Rapid City, SD 57701-8981
New-patient wait for mental health: 29 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 38 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 25 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Rapid City Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
21 East Omaha Street, Rapid City, SD 57701
about 30 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Cheyenne VA Regional Benefit Office (opens in a new tab)
2360 E. Pershing Blvd., Cheyenne, WY 82001
about 188 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
The second-nearest medical center to Custer County is Fort Meade VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab) in Fort Meade, SD, about 50 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to Custer County is Rapid City Mobile Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Rapid City, SD, about 30 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists Sioux Falls RO (station 438); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Black Hills National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
20901 Pleasant Valley Drive Sturgis, SD 57785
605-347-3830
About 47.4 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
Akicita Owicahe Lakota Freedom Veterans Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
202-35 BIA 2 Kyle, SD 57752
605-455-1497
About 72.5 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
State veterans cemeteries set their own eligibility rules.
National Cemetery Administration lists checked October 2, 2026. Cemetery coverage and distance method.
Military branch is not listed in the USACE FY2024 property data.
These lists use site points within county boundaries. A site may extend into another county.
For VA’s service-location rules, see the presumptive conditions list. A location listing does not establish personal exposure or eligibility.
On one night in January 2024, South Dakota Statewide CoC counted 42 veterans experiencing homelessness (28 sheltered, 14 unsheltered).
SD-500 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).
The HUD workbook reports 66 veterans for the 2019 comparison.
This is a one-night count for the whole CoC area, not a county or annual total. CoC mapping method.
If you need housing help, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838. You can call any time, day or night.
Your nearest VA medical center by straight-line distance is Hot Springs VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 605-745-2000. Ask for the homeless coordinator.
VA's FY2026 Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) intake list names these providers. About VA SSVF (opens in a new tab).
Census incorporated places and census-designated places, sorted by ACS 2020-2024 population. Figures are ACS estimates for the whole place, not only the part inside this county. Places are assigned by their 2024 Census internal point and may cross county boundaries. Sources and mapping method.
For the Veterans Crisis Line, dial 988 then press 1. VA crisis support (opens in a new tab)
South Dakota exempts $200,000 of qualifying owner-occupied dwelling value for veterans with permanent and total service-connected disability.
South Dakota provides free state university tuition to qualifying children under 25 of Guard members permanently and totally disabled through qualifying duty.
Ask the office about VA Form 21-0966 to preserve a potential benefits start date while gathering evidence. Check your intent to file deadline.
ACS 2020-2024; VA FY2025; geography/locations/benefits 2026; adjacency 2024. Distances: straight line from county center. Full method.
Distances are straight-line estimates between county internal points. Representatives may serve clients outside their local area.
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